On politics in the Golden State

Assemblyman Hernandez pleads not guilty to drunk driving

May 21, 2012 | 4:54
pm

Assemblyman Roger Hernandez (D-West Covina) has pleaded not guilty to drunk driving charges stemming from his March arrest in Concord, Calif., officials confirmed Monday. Hernandez faces a June 20 court hearing on two misdemeanor charges filed by the Contra Costa County district attorney, according to Bobbi Spinola, an assistant to the prosecutor. She said he entered the plea May 8.

The Assemblyman was arrested March 27 at 2 a.m. after police officers saw the state car he was driving weaving between lanes. At the time, he refused to submit to a breathalyzer test at the scene, but a blood test was taken at the jail. The results showed he was over the legal limit for alcohol in his blood.

He recently issued an apology, saying “I may have made a poor judgment thinking that I was sober enough to drive after a couple of drinks over the course of an evening.’’

His defense attorney, Felipe Placencia, could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.